No fewer than nine people sustained various injuries and many vehicles burnt after a gas explosion triggered a fire at the Mobil Filling Station near the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State.
No casualties were reported at the filling station when the explosion occurred around on Thursday morning, though it caused panic among residents and business owners near the scene of the incident.
A fuel attendant, who did not want his name mentioned for personal reasons, said the fire that emanated from the gas point spread immediately, and affected about nine vehicles parked at the premises.
He said, “I was attending to a customer when I heard a loud noise from the gas point and before I could imagine what was going on, the vehicles parked close to the gas truck were already gutted by fire.
“My colleagues and I, as well as customers who came to buy fuel quickly ran away. A gas truck was refilling the storage tank when it happened.”
According to a press release signed by the management of the filling station which stated that “Our immediate response team in collaboration with the Lagos State Fire Service, LASEMA, FRSC, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps effectively extinguished the fire.”
The statement added that “In the interest of the public safety, we have temporarily closed down the station until further notice. Our company is co-operating fully with relevant government agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.”
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, investigation revealed that damage to the pipe of the eight-ton LPG gas cylinder while its content was being discharged caused the fire.
He explained that the damage to the cylinder led to a rapid gas leak, which then ignited and caused the explosion. He added that further investigation would provide answers regarding the cause of the incident.
Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the explosion resulted in severe burns for two adult males, while around seven other people sustained minor injuries.
He added that about 10 vehicles, both commercial and private, were damaged, including parts of a nearby two-storey building.
He said, “All injured parties were promptly rescued and provided with immediate medical attention by the agency’s pre-hospital care team, in collaboration with LASAMBUS. They were later transferred to LASUTH for further treatment.
“The fire was successfully contained by the combined efforts of the agency’s LRT and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, preventing it from spreading to surrounding areas.
“The site is being cordoned off to ensure safety and to return the environment to normalcy as quickly as possible.”
Oke-Osanyintolu revealed that two LPG gas cylinders, one weighing about 12 tons and the other eight tons, had been secured at the premises to prevent further explosions.
